by Jo Leigh
What she didn’t understand was what he was actually after. Even if he had been Tilda’s father, would he want to be a part of her life? He’d been unequivocal in his choices. He’d said he wanted the wilderness. A solitary life. He’d sought out the isolation. As much as she’d like to think he was the same compassionate man she’d known all those years ago, he simply wasn’t. Despite the conversation he’d had with his customer in Alaska. Perhaps he was fooling himself, but she’d learned a long time ago that when someone tells you who they are, you should believe them.
“I’m going to get myself a cup of coffee, and then I’m going to get dressed. I expect you to be gone by the time I come back downstairs.”
Instead of replying, he kept that smug smile going. Oddly, she wasn’t willing to disregard the honest pleasure of spending time with him last night. Quite possibly the best evening she’d had in fifteen years. A lump formed in her throat and she turned for the kitchen. Fate could be incredibly cruel.
* * *
PARKER THREW HIS duffel bag into the backseat of the Jeep and climbed behind the wheel. The sky had some nerve being clear blue and perfect for flying. Not that it couldn’t change in a moment. That gust of wind had been a harbinger, and not simply about his life taking a turn for the worse. Actually, whatever storm hit the bay would work in his favor. So many guests were leaving, and they’d all try to move up their flights. Which meant he shouldn’t have any trouble finding a room for the rest of the week.
After turning on the ignition, he looked back at the house. He couldn’t see Ginny, but he was certain she was watching. Making sure he left. Weirdly, he was more disappointed than angry.
The idea of Tilda’s webbed toes being a coincidence was ludicrous. And it wasn’t as if he was some slacker who’d come prepared to blackmail Ginny based on the assumption of paternity. He’d never imagined she’d have his child. He had even believed her when she’d sworn Tilda wasn’t his. But she acted as if his being the father was the worst thing that could happen. He was reasonably intelligent, owned a business and made a decent living. She wouldn’t even have to see him very often...
He drove down the winding streets of Waverly Hills, full of multimillion-dollar homes, polished lawns, luxury cars and boats. All the trappings of a happiness that didn’t exist.
Okay, so he could understand why Ginny might have lied when he’d first shown up. Given her circumstances, she’d be very protective of Tilda. But why not tell him now? After he’d explained why he’d been forced to leave town, and no, he hadn’t contacted her later, but she hadn’t mentioned trying to look for him either. It wasn’t as if he was trying to steal the girl away.
Even if Ginny never told him the truth, Tilda was a bright girl. Someday she’d go looking for her father. How would Ginny explain that Tilda had met him when she was fourteen, only her mother had decided not to tell her who he was?
Tilda would be even more confused and rightfully angry. Ginny’s secrecy made no sense. If nothing else, she could be getting some financial support, even if nothing was done through the courts. Whether she felt she needed it or not, Tilda shouldn’t be denied the extras he could provide.
He stopped at the red light on the road that separated Waverly Hills from the town proper, thinking about Tilda. Bright, funny, well-spoken—she was a daughter any man would be proud of.
But he wasn’t about to pretend that suddenly knowing he had a kid wouldn’t turn his life upside down. It would be simpler all the way around if he got in his plane and never looked back. That would make Ginny happy. But the truth was, he couldn’t leave without knowing the truth. And he’d like to know Tilda better. The last thing he wanted was to end up like his father.
Just as the light turned green, his cell phone went off. It was Mark. Probably to complain about another customer of Parker’s. He pulled into a parking lot that was jam-packed, but he wouldn’t be long. Accepting the call, he said, “What?”
“What the hell is it with your people? Lonny Atuat wants me to fly a baby moose up to his place so it can be nursed in the wild. You know what a baby moose is going to do to my plane?”
“Yeah, because we’ve never had anything make a mess in the planes.”
“We usually charge accordingly, but Lonny claims you said he didn’t have to pay anything over his regular delivery fee. I swear, the way you coddle your customers is turning them into a bunch of crybabies. Cheap ones.”
Parker cursed. “They’re the crybabies?”
“Yeah, they are. Are you aware that storm heading your way is expected to hit early and hard. You should probably get out of there ASAP and get ahead of it.”
“Can’t you do one week of deliveries without complaining about it? Maybe I should look for a partner who understands what it means to have my back.” The silence that followed was time enough for him to regret his hasty words. But he was too irritated.
“Now that was uncalled-for.” Mark sounded as pissed off as Parker felt. “At least you don’t have to handhold my customers. They aren’t spoiled rotten. What’s with you, anyway?”
“Nothing.”
“Family, huh? Everyone in your face?”
“None of your business. I’m hanging up now.”
“Ah,” Mark drawled in a tone guaranteed to make Parker want to strangle him. “This is about a woman.”
“It’s none of your—”
“It is. A woman. And from the mainland? I never would have thought—”
“Shut up, Schwartz.”
“Don’t be like that, Parker. You can tell Uncle Mark everything, you know that. With my vast experience with women, I’m sure I’ll have all the advice you need.”
Parker took great pleasure in disconnecting the call. Uncle Mark knew exactly what he could do with his advice.
CHAPTER TWELVE
GINNY LOOKED AT herself one last time in the mirror before she headed downstairs and off to the brunch. Her hair had refused to cooperate, her outfit felt awkward and too flimsy even though it had been one of her favorites. But all she really cared about was making sure Parker and Tilda wouldn’t meet again.
Kaley had arrived a few minutes ago, and the plan was that the girls would stay in and watch a movie they’d missed when it had hit the theaters. While Ginny was reasonably sure Parker wouldn’t return, at least not this soon, that wasn’t good enough.
Stopping at her bed, she opened her purse and checked to see what cash she had in her wallet. It was more than she’d remembered, which was great. Her steps got quicker as she went down the stairs, but she slowed herself when Tilda gave her a worried glance.
“Hey, girls. Change of plan.”
Tilda groaned, but Kaley kept her opinion to herself.
“All right,” Ginny said, as if it didn’t matter a whit to her. “Then I won’t give you money to go to the mall.”
The girls were on their feet and in front of Ginny in two seconds. “Wait, wait, wait,” Tilda said, her brown eyes wide and hopeful. “You want us to go to the mall? To shop? By ourselves?”
“Since you got the raw end of the deal on camping, I was going to suggest a little treat.”
“Treat?” Kaley sort of hopped at the mere suggestion.
“I was thinking you could go to the cosmetic counter and have a lesson on makeup by Angela. You remember her, don’t you, Tilda?”
“She’s the one who got you to buy a year’s worth of face stuff.”
“Maybe not a year’s worth.” Ginny was beginning to think she was making a mistake.
“That would be great,” Kaley said. “Thank you.”
But Tilda wasn’t quite so ready to bite. “What’s the catch? I’m not fifteen yet. You’re the one who only lets me wear lip gloss and mascara on special occasions.”
“You’re going to be fifteen soon enough and you should learn about your colors and skin tone.”
&
nbsp; Kaley gave Tilda a look that could singe her lashes, then smiled brightly at Ginny. “I know I want to learn about my colors. And my tones. It’s such a smart idea to start now.”
“This is about Parker, isn’t it? You’re not going to brunch. You want to hook up with him again.”
“What are you talking about?” Ginny said, the alarm in her voice 100 percent genuine.
“I approve.” Tilda’s mischievous little grin was almost more than Ginny could take. “He’s completely hot, and he knows about syndactyly.”
“You’re to go to the mall, and after you have your makeup done, you can go to the food court, and maybe catch a movie but don’t go crazy. Also, I’ll be speaking to Angela and she’ll give me a rundown on both of you, so watch yourselves. Don’t go getting anything pierced or trying any wild colors in your hair.”
Just as Tilda opened her mouth, Kaley jabbed her in the ribs with her elbow. “Yes, Ms. Landry,” she said, holding out her hand. “Thank you. This is so cool.”
Tilda looked at her friend as if the world had gone wonky, but then she shook her head and held out her hand too. “Thanks, Mom.”
Ginny gave them each far too much cash, but she was running ridiculously late, and even though she understood it was guilt pushing her along, she couldn’t seem to hold back. “I’ll call you after brunch.”
* * *
GINNY WAS THE last to arrive at the hotel restaurant. One of her friends must have gotten there early because the place was filled to the rafters with golfers and other reunion attendees. Still, they had a nice table that was relatively private. Although she could hear Jade’s laughter from the entrance, and all the way until she took her seat to complete the foursome.
“How’s Tilda?” Harlow asked.
“She’s fine...” Another wave of guilt—evidently that was the way her body worked now—swept through her. She’d used Tilda as her excuse for getting out of the dinner last night.
“Tilda, huh?” Jade said, sipping her Bloody Mary. “That blush on your cheeks is quite telling. So, was it the guy from the bar? Meg’s brother? Or was it someone else?”
“It wasn’t anyone,” she said, sticking with her story. For heaven’s sake, she’d kept a monster secret from everyone she knew for years, and yet this little white lie nearly did her in. “Why does it always have to be about a guy? Although from what I gathered, you two both had dates last night.”
“So did Cricket,” Harlow said with a grin that showed off her perfectly straightened teeth.
Ginny stared at her friend. “You were with Wyatt?”
“Nothing happened,” Cricket said. “But it was very nice. We walked on the beach.”
“Fine, well, what both of you missed while off doing whatever was Nia Quail falling on her bountiful behind smack-dab in the middle of the dance floor. Her cocktail dress rode up all the way over her Spanx.”
“You’re evil,” Ginny said, trying hard to be seriously disapproving while also wishing like crazy she’d been there to see it. Nia had been a horror during their school years. Talk about a mean girl. She’d been especially rude to Jade and Cricket because they belonged to the fish people. Generations of their families had made their living fishing off the shore from their large trawlers. Ginny and Harlow had lived in Waverly Hills where the summer folk had landed, jacking up real estate prices by buying second homes on the bluff overlooking the ocean. Everyone complained about the tourists, which was ironic since that’s how Temptation Bay residents made most of their income.
“I got it all on my iPhone,” Jade said. “I’ll send you a copy.”
“Thank you,” Ginny said, far too enthusiastically. Who was she trying to fool, anyway. Their group had always been regular gossips, and they sort of competed to outdo each other in the witty banter department. Jade was the acknowledged champion, but Meg had given her a run for her money.
The thought brought Ginny’s good humor to a halt, and she ended up ordering a very fattening eggs Benedict and hash browns along with her coffee. The other girls had no trouble carb-loading even while they complained about having indulged too much.
“Before I forget, you all have to promise to come to the yacht club mixer at four,” Harlow said. Three distinct whines followed, but she didn’t pay them any mind. “I won’t take no for an answer. Last night I met the most amazing guy—tall, handsome, a former football player. He was a dream. And he manages the club now.”
“Go ahead and tell them the rest,” Jade said.
“Fine. I changed my flight out from tonight to tomorrow morning.”
“Wow, that’s impressive,” Ginny said. “What about your dream date, Jade?”
She shrugged. “He was perfect in every way. Especially the part where I won’t ever see him again. But I’m not leaving until after I see my family, and then I’m hoping the storm doesn’t cripple air travel. But I need to make an appearance, no matter what.”
“You don’t want to see them?” Cricket asked. “You like your family.”
“I do, but it’s not like I have much time. What about you? Have you seen your dad?”
“Yeah, I did.” Cricket inhaled deeply, and her eyes were so sad, Ginny forgot about her own troubles.
“What’s going on, Cricket? Is Ronny all right?”
“I’m not sure. He’s had a couple of mishaps. I think he might be having dizzy spells, but he won’t say.” Then, as if shedding a hair shirt, Cricket confessed that her position at her Chicago law firm was in jeopardy because her bosses wanted her to participate in getting their wealthiest client’s son off the hook for a rape charge.
“But you’re a contract lawyer,” Ginny said.
Cricket nodded. “It’s insane, every bit of it. Some jury expert convinced the client I’d be nice window dressing at the table.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Except now that I know something’s off with Ronny, I need to stay and make sure he’s checked out by his doctor. He won’t go if I leave it up to him. It’s all right though. I’m sure Ronny will be fine, and I’ll come up with some logical way to get out of that case. So, yes, Harlow, I will join you at the yacht club. But I can only stay for an hour. I’m meeting Wyatt at the bar at five.”
Ginny set aside any plans she’d had to ask for Cricket’s help with Parker. Her friend had a very full plate, and she didn’t need another burden. But she did want to give Cricket the opportunity to unload on her, so she agreed to go to the yacht club, as well. It helped that she knew Tilda would still be at the mall, catching a movie with Kaley. After that, Ginny felt fairly confident Wyatt would distract Cricket from thinking about work.
Their meals were served, and while Ginny ate like a starving waif, she mostly listened to other tales of her friend’s lives. She was even able to slow down her feeding frenzy as she relaxed into their stories and realized what a gift it was to see them.
Two hours flew by quickly, and after the others finished the last round of mimosas, they left the table and walked to the lobby. As usual it was crowded, but mostly with people checking out and saying their goodbyes. She glanced at the reception desk. Parker was standing in line, his duffel bag in hand.
For a moment, she froze as her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. Although, she shouldn’t be too surprised that he wasn’t going to leave before the storm. That was wishful thinking on her part. And it left her with only one option: she and Tilda would leave first thing tomorrow morning.
* * *
BY TEN THE next morning, Parker still couldn’t shake his sour mood. For the second night in a row, he’d had a lousy night’s sleep. Despite being in a great room with a great bed, thoughts of Ginny had kept his mind spinning. Even more troubling were the many instances of pretending that the lies had been explained away to his satisfaction—which he doubted could ever happen.
At one point, when he’d been on the verge of sleep and not in complete cont
rol of his faculties, he’d tried picturing Ginny and Tilda in his cabin. But that had fallen apart quickly. The unbidden image was ludicrous. Then he’d imagined the three of them living in his old house in Temptation Bay. That little nugget had gotten him completely out of bed at threesomething. He’d paced, he’d showered again and then he’d eaten two candy bars from the minibar.
He’d called her twice since breakfast, leaving voice mails each time, but there’d been no response. Now that he was in his car, instead of going straight to the airfield to check that his plane was safely tucked away in the hangar space he’d rented, he was on his way to Ginny’s house. The odds of her actually talking to him, or even letting him inside were slim.
Didn’t matter. He had to try.
A lot of people had been checking out of the resort, which was understandable. And the docks would be utter chaos as the storm headed toward the bay. Not to mention traffic was terrible—what should have been a ten-minute drive had taken twenty.
Once he was in the driveway, he saw a middle-aged man boarding up the windows on the main level. Parker jogged to the porch, and the man looked over at him. She’d called him Lee... “Do you happen to know if Ginny and Tilda are up and about?” Parker asked.
“They’re not here,” he said, holding up one of the shutters. “Left to keep ahead of the storm.”
“Huh. It’s early, and I was under the impression it wasn’t going to do much damage this far away from the shore.”
“Could be, but Ginny wanted them to miss the worst of the tourist panic. The roads will be a mess.”
Parker nodded agreeably. “They already are. Do you know where they were headed?”
The man squinted at him, warier now. “I’ve never seen you around here before.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.” Parker extended his hand. “You’re Lee, aren’t you?”
Looking surprised, the man nodded as they shook.
“I’m Parker, an old friend. I used to live on Peacock Street, across from the school. I came for the reunion, and I seem to keep missing her. We were supposed to connect last night but things got in the way.” He sighed and looked distractedly toward the bay. “Well, I know she’s not headed to her dad’s place.”